One in Christ

PRAYER PRACTICE

Spoken Prayer – Out loud, pray for God to speak to you through your reading. Praise God for giving us His word. Ask the Spirit to help you read with faith, and to live out what you hear from God through the passage.

DAILY READING

Galatians 3:23-29

Small Group discussion prompts

DEVOTION / REFLECTION

The Law and Prison

by Elaine Pierce

"Before this faith came, we were held prisoners by the law, locked up until faith should be revealed." (v. 23)

Paul was imprisoned for his faith many times, so perhaps when he talks about being held a prisoner by the law, he is not just speaking metaphorically. I've never been to prison, but I would imagine it is a very lonely, very frightening place to be. Other versions use the phrase 'in custody,' which is certainly related to prison. When I'm in custody/in prison, I'm not there because I want to be. Someone else is running the show. I'm a captive.  

Isn't this one way to think about the law? It has held us captive. It has imprisoned us. We can never live up to the law. We will always fail. The law sets up requirements that we can never perfectly fulfill. But yet, it does give us a glimpse into a perfect life - one that we can never attain - and it reminds us that we can't attain this perfection on our own.  

Jesus came to fulfill the law. As Paul says in verse 24, "the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith. Now that faith has come, we are no longer under the supervision of the law."  

Jeremiah 17:9 says "the heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?" Lord, I confess that I am a rule follower. I want to earn my salvation through my good works and adherence to the law. You have released me from the law, and I stand on that assurance. What joy it is to know that we are all one in Christ Jesus, and it is through him and him alone that we have eternal life.  Hallelujah!  Amen.